The present invention relates to a set of devices and a technique for treating headaches and particularly migraines.
Severe headaches are suffered by large numbers of the American population. It is estimated that 1 in 10 males and 1 in 4 females experience debilitating headaches regularly. Even larger percentages may experience the occasional mild headache capable of being treated with an over the counter analgesic, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen. Severe headaches may substantially incapacitate the individual suffering from the headache. Such incapacitation may lead to losses in productivity, inability to work, and a general deterioration of quality of life.
There are presently two techniques by which severe headaches are treated with a sphenopalatine ganglion block. Both of these techniques involve treatment by a medical provider in an office or hospital setting. The first technique comprises using a rigid cotton swab coated with a pain medication. The cotton swab is inserted through the nasal passage to the sphenopalatine ganglion. The cotton tip then swabs the area near the ganglion to introduce the pain medication thereto. The rigid swab may cause trauma to the nasal cavity and cause other discomfort to the individual enduring the treatment.
The second technique comprises tilting the head of the headache sufferer backwards and using a syringe to trickle a pain medication through the nasal cavity to the ganglion in question.
As both of these techniques require the supervision of a medical provider, they are expensive. While some of this tab may be paid for by insurance providers or Medicare, it is still inconvenient for the individual to travel to the medical provider""s office to receive the treatment.
Thus, a method of providing an effective pain medication regimen for severe headaches that does not require the supervision of a medical provider is needed.
The present invention comprises a series of three devices, which progressively anesthetize the nasal cavity and the sphenopalatine ganglion. In particular, a first device comprises a compressible bulb having a flexible nozzle attached thereto. The flexible nozzle may be approximately 1.5 inches (3.75 cm) long. The compressible bulb is filled with an over the counter anesthetic. The individual suffering from the headache or a trusted companion may insert the flexible nozzle into the headache sufferer""s nostril and squeeze the compressible bulb. This discharges the anesthetic into the nasal cavity. The mucous membrane rapidly absorbs the anesthetic, thereby priming the nasal cavity for the insertion of the second device.
The second device comprises a compressible bulb with a longer flexible nozzle. In particular, the flexible nozzle may be approximately three inches (7.5 cm) long. The compressible bulb of the second device is likewise filled with an anesthetic. The second device is inserted into the nostril of the headache sufferer and the compressible bulb compressed. This discharges the anesthetic into the nasal cavity at a point beyond the initial insertion of the first device. Again, the mucous membrane rapidly absorbs the anesthetic thereby priming the nasal cavity for the insertion of the final device.
The final device comprises a syringe having a long flexible nozzle with a wicking material disposed therein. An anesthetic is placed into the syringe and saturates the wicking material. The terminal end of the flexible nozzle has some portion of the wicking material exposed. The final device is then inserted into the nasal cavity through the nostril until the wicking material abuts or is proximate to the sphenopalatine ganglion. A guard is removed from the syringe, and the plunger of the syringe is depressed. This forces the anesthetic through the wicking material, resulting in a discharge onto the ganglion.